10 things Q'uran preaches about family planning

In our present society, it is not considered a good idea to have children without spacing them, or have more children that you can financially take care of.

Whatever your decision on family planning, it is important to understand what the word of God says and have a better idea how your choices affect you as a Muslim.

1. The Quran does not specifically refer to contraception or family planning.

2. In verses forbidding infanticide, the Quran warns Muslims, “Do not kill your children for fear of want; We provide sustenance for them and for you” (6:151, 17:31). Some Muslims have interpreted this as a prohibition against contraception as well, but this is not a widely accepted view.

3. Some early forms of birth control were practiced during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and he did not object to their appropriate use – such as to benefit the family or the mother’s health, or to delay pregnancy for a certain period of time.

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4. We must also remember that no method of birth control is 100% effective; Allah is the Creator, and if Allah wants a couple to have a child, we should accept it as His will. Whether or not we practice birth control, if Allah wills, the child will be conceived.

5. Virtually all Islamic scholars consider allowances for the mother’s health, and most allow for at least some forms of birth control when it is a mutual decision by husband and wife.

6. Natural family planning was commonly practiced during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, and he did not universally object to it. Spouses need to be sensitive to each other’s needs for fulfillment, however, and practice this method only if both agree.

7. Barrier methods that are designed to prevent conception like condoms or diaphragms are accepted by most Muslim scholars.

8. Hormonal methods (e.g pills, patch, IUDs) work through a combination of preventing fertilization and interfering with implantation. Most scholars frown upon such methods except under medical supervision, particularly as they may cause harm to the woman using them.

9. Surgery (Vasectomy, tubal litigation, hysterectomy) : Islam forbids a couple from choosing to be permanently child-free through the use of surgeries which are irreversible, unless for medical reasons.

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10. Abortion: The Quran describes the stages of embryonic development (23:12-14 and 32:7-9), and Islamic tradition states that the soul is “breathed” into a child four months after conception. Islam teaches respect for each and every human life, but there remains this question of whether unborn children fall into this category.

Abortion is frowned upon during the early weeks, and is considered a sin if done without just cause, but most Islamic jurists permit it. Most early Muslim scholars found abortion to be permissible if done in the first 90-120 days after conception, but abortion is universally condemned thereafter unless to save the mother's life.